There is new evidence of warning signs about NSA leaker Edward Snowden's penchant for mischief. CNN learned that back in 2009, while working for the CIA in Geneva, he accessed his personnel file and tried to change parts of his evaluation. But the CIA said in a statement that they did not file a report on Snowden at the time that indicated he tried to break into classified computer files.

This latest revelation is part of the ongoing investigation into how Snowden accessed and shared classified information from the NSA.

Meanwhile, Snowden has been settling into his new life in Russia, and just received a prize – a whistleblower award that was presented to him this week by a group of former U.S. intelligence officials.

Former CIA analyst and co-founder of Sam Adams Associates Ray McGovern and NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake met with Snowden for about six hours.

"What we saw was a man at peace with his decisions, a man who is proud of doing what he did," said McGovern.
"It sounds a little corny but he swore the same solemn oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, as Tom and I did. Some of us take that more seriously than others," said McGovern.

The Obama administration has said that what Edward Snowden did made it more difficult for the U.S. government to protect Americans from terrorism and other threats, an assertion Drake disputes.

"The officials are wrong because the secrecy is subverting our own security," said Drake. "They do not want the truth about their conduct (made public) – violating the Constitution, violating the sovereignty of individuals, not just U.S. citizens, but also citizens in other parts of the world. And that they are also violating existing congressional legislation, including the FISA Amendments Act as well as the Patriot Act.

For more of our interview with Ray McGovern and Thomas Drake watch the video above.

soundoff(No Responses)

Post a comment

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

About This Show

The Lead with Jake Tapper draws not only on Tapper’s deep knowledge of politics and national issues, but also seeks to examine and advance stories across a wide range of topics that demonstrate his own curiosities and interests. Compelling headlines come from around the country and the globe, from politics to money, sports to popular culture, based on news drivers of the day.